Lower Thames Crossing’s Post

With all the recently announced major infrastructure projects announced by the government, it would appear that there has never been a better time to be a #charteredsurveyor or one of the associated professions - demand will increase, recruitment will become trickier, salaries will improve...and long standing relationships with niche audiences will become even more valuable. I'm interested to know what my network thinks will happen to the recruitment market in this sector #recruitment #surveyors #advertising #nicheaudience

In light of the King's Speech, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce has issued an initial response as follows: “Whilst we will look for more detail in the days ahead, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is broadly appreciative of those pieces of legislation in the King’s Speech that seek to enable stronger and more sustainable economic growth. As such this appears to be an early and strategic confirmation of what businesses are looking for in general terms: a long-term plan, backed by a clear role for Government in then allowing the private sector to do what it does best: generate wealth and employment.    “In particular, we welcome the intentions behind the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as long as it does indeed accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure projects such as Ely/Haughley Junctions, improvements to the strategic roads in the county and improved 4G and 5G connectivity, as well as housing, the Better Buses Bill as rural isolation in Suffolk and access to work and study, especially for our younger citizens is a major drag factor in boosting business investment and household incomes and the English Devolution Bill, as we believe that Suffolk has suffered for too long from the ‘Whitehall knows best’ philosophy, which has consistently resulted in unfair funding and missed opportunities. However, we are concerned that any new powers will be limited to metro mayors and combined authorities - once again putting Suffolk at a disadvantage.   “For similar reasons, Suffolk Chamber likes the intent behind the Great British Energy Bill given our county and region’s enormous existing strengths in the renewables sector. Noting that the proposed company will be headquartered in Scotland, we think it vital that it also has a presence here in Suffolk to ensure the needs of existing and prospective energy companies are not overlooked and investment opportunities are maximised.” #SuffolkChamber #Suffolk #KingsSpeech

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer has unveiled ambitious plans to transform the UK’s construction landscape. This stimulus will create a great opportunity for the industry. It’s great to see our Town and Country Planning team explaining what the changes to planning rules will mean for developers and landowners. #constructionindustry #planning #NPPF #economicgrowth The full article from the planning team can be found here - Next steps for helping Britain build - Ridge and Partners LLP

The extra $1 billion in last night's budget for connecting essential services such as water, power, sewerage and roads is a win for RCV, which advocated to both Federal and State governments for this investment. Challenges such as a lack of housing supply and workforce shortages need to be addressed in the short term to unlock regional Victoria’s growth potential. When this billion dollars of funds flow it will help local government make it quicker, easier and more affordable to build new homes for people who want to live and work in regional Victoria. But we still have concerns about a lack of investment in community infrastructure needed to match the growth in regional Victoria. We’ve welcomed all the announcements about buckets of money in programs like Growing Regions, Roads to Recovery, Housing Support and Regional Precincts and Partnerships – but regional Victoria is yet to see a cent of it. It’s been two years since the Albanese Government was elected – it’s time to tip these buckets of money into regional Victoria. We need considered investment that underpins long-term economic prosperity, keeps the cost of living down, and improves liveability in the regions. The $1 billion for essential services in last night's budget is a welcome step in the right direction. #federalbudget Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts Kristy McBain MP Michael Sukkar Julie Collins

Yesterday afternoon, the King's Speech unveiled Labour's ambitious vision for revitalising the housing industry and driving economic growth. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is set to revolutionise the current planning regime, which has long been a barrier to economic progress. This bill will unlock more housing and infrastructure projects nationwide, supporting sustained economic growth. The system will be transformed into an enabler of growth, focusing on democratic engagement to determine how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built. Reforming the planning system is crucial to unlocking the UK's economic potential. The Bill aims to speed up and streamline the planning process, facilitate the construction of more homes of all tenures, and accelerate significant infrastructure projects in line with our industrial, energy, and transport strategies. We appreciate His Majesty for laying out these ambitious plans, and we are very excited to support the industry in what promises to be an exciting new chapter for housing and infrastructure development. #KingsSpeech #HousingReform #EconomicGrowth #Infrastructure #LabourPlan #UKHousing #PlanningReform

“Prop 5 is a critical step to empowering local communities to address local affordable housing and infrastructure needs. It allows local communities to take control and make decisions about the future without waiting for additional state intervention.” - Amie Fishman, NPH Executive Director. KQED looks at Proposition 5, which would make it easier for local governments to pass bonds to fund affordable housing and public infrastructure projects by lowering the voter threshold from a two-thirds supermajority to 55%. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dSZ4euwR

Check out the link below to learn about what is happening in Guelph to push for a fairer deal with Enbridge so that municipal taxpayers in Ontario don't continue to subsidize Enbridge. https://lnkd.in/gEKQbHfh

On July 17, 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the launch of the Canada Public Transit Fund (the Fund). Through the Fund, the federal government will commit CA$30 billion over 10 years destined to Canadian public transit infrastructure which, if realized, would make it the largest public transit program in Canadian history. The program will strive to expand and improve public transit infrastructure across the country. Investment via the Fund will be available to local governments and public transit agencies, starting in 2026, through three streams: Metro-Region agreements, Baseline Funding and Targeted Funding. CA$30 billion is a huge number in anyone's books, including Canadian taxpayers. My Dentons colleagues Ilan Dunsky, Lampros Stougiannos, Charles Bardou and Anoosh Loertscher discuss the key aspects of this initiative, its potential challenges and provide guidance for local governments and public transit agencies on accessing and effectively utilizing the funding. This funding, which will be provided through three streams, will aim to enhance and expand transit networks throughout the country. Calls for applications have already begun for the MRA and Baseline Funding streams and will remain open until September 16, 2024. Read more: https://ow.ly/IrUP30sFlbG #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnerships #PPP #PublicTransit

🌟 Tackling Housing Challenges Together: Insights from the Atlantic Mayors Congress 🌟 Join Gale Force Wins as we sit down with Minister Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities, at the Atlantic Mayors Congress in Summerside. 🏠 This episode dives into collaborative efforts to address the national housing crisis and the incredible progress being made across Atlantic Canada. 💡 Key Highlights: Visionary solutions to accelerate housing and infrastructure projects. Exciting updates on housing starts across Atlantic Canada. 🏗️ How collaboration across all levels of government is driving change. Success stories from the Housing Accelerator Fund and public land developments. 🎥 Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about leadership, community, and progress! Check out the full episode and discover how Atlantic Canadians are working together to build a brighter future. 📌 Watch now and explore the timestamps to dive into specific topics: 💬 Share your thoughts and let us know how your community is addressing housing challenges! #HousingSolutions #CommunityLeadership #AtlanticCanada #GaleForceWins #Collaboration https://lnkd.in/evacuJBj

Yesterday’s Kings Speech highlighted that ‘Ministers will get Britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing.’ The driver for this will be a new Planning and Infrastructure Bill ensuring that the planning system is an enabler of growth and enabling democratic engagement with how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built. The new Planning and Infrastructure Bill aims to achieve this including by: - Speeding up and streamlining the planning process to build more homes of all tenures but does not expressly mention the return of mandatory house-building targets; - Improving local planning decision making by modernising planning committees; - Increasing local planning authorities’ capacity, to improve performance and decision making, providing a more predictable service to developers and investors through boosting capacity and speeding up decision-making; - Enabling relevant new and improved national policy statements which provide opportunity to be updated every five years; - Using development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled, unlocking a win-win outcome for the economy and for nature; and - Further reforming compulsory purchase compensation rules to ensure that compensation paid to landowners is fair but not excessive. It is important to highlight that the Kings Speech also included an English Devolution Bill which will establish a new framework for English devolution, moving power out of Westminster and back to those who know their areas best including enhanced powers over strategic planning.